Historic city · Cultural centre · Scenic area · Yunnan
Lijiang
丽江
Naxi old town beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Lijiang is a prefecture-level city in north-western Yunnan, on a plateau at about 2,400 metres below Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Its Old Town, a Naxi market town of canals and wooden houses, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, and the city is the gateway to Tiger Leaping Gorge, the first bend of the Yangtze and Lugu Lake.
Key facts
Overview
Lijiang lies in a basin on the east bank of the Jinsha River, where the upper Yangtze makes its great bend. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rises north of the basin, feeding the springs of Black Dragon Pool, whose water runs through the old town in a network of channels.
The town grew as a trading station on the tea-horse routes between Yunnan and Tibet and as the seat of the Naxi chieftains. Its old quarters survived the earthquake of 1996 better than much of the modern city, and their inscription on the World Heritage List in 1997 made Lijiang one of the most visited places in China.
Names and nicknames
大研古镇
The name of the main old town, said to come from its resemblance to an inkstone (砚).
木府
The seat of the Mu family, hereditary Naxi rulers of Lijiang from the Yuan to the early Qing, often used to refer to the old town's history.
History
The Naxi, who settled the basin in the first millennium, were ruled from the Yuan to 1723 by the Mu family, who received their surname from the Ming founder in 1382 and kept their town unwalled. The Qing replaced them with appointed officials in 1723. Lijiang remained a caravan town on the route to Lhasa, and in the first half of the twentieth century the Austrian-American botanist Joseph Rock lived nearby and documented Naxi culture. On 3 February 1996 an earthquake of magnitude 7 struck the region; the reconstruction and the World Heritage inscription of 1997 were followed by rapid tourist development.
1253
Kublai crosses the Jinsha
The Mongol army advancing on Dali crossed the river near Lijiang; the Naxi chiefs submitted and were confirmed as hereditary rulers.
1382
The Mu surname granted
The Hongwu Emperor gave the Naxi ruler the surname Mu (木); the family ruled Lijiang as native chieftains for more than three centuries.
1639
Xu Xiake visits the Mu court
The Ming traveller described Lijiang and its rulers in his diaries.
1723
Direct Qing rule
The Mu were reduced to local officials as appointed magistrates took over.
1922–1949
Joseph Rock in Lijiang
The botanist and explorer based himself at Yuhu village and studied the Dongba manuscripts.
3 February 1996
Lijiang earthquake
A magnitude-7.0 earthquake caused heavy damage and loss of life across the region.
1997
UNESCO World Heritage inscription
The Old Town, with Baisha and Shuhe, was inscribed as a cultural site.
Landmarks
Street or quarter
Old Town of Lijiang (Dayan)
丽江古城
Stone-paved lanes, canals and bridges around the Square Market (四方街), with timber courtyard houses.
Historic site
Mu Mansion
木府
The reconstructed palace of the Mu chieftains in the south of the old town.
Park or garden
Black Dragon Pool
黑龙潭
Spring-fed pool with a marble bridge and pavilion, and a classic view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Temple or shrine
Baisha
白沙
Village north of the town, the earlier seat of the Mu family, with Ming-era murals combining Chinese, Tibetan and Naxi styles.
Street or quarter
Shuhe
束河
Smaller old town on the tea-horse route, part of the World Heritage site.
Nature
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
玉龙雪山
Glaciated massif rising to 5,596 m, reached by cable cars to the glacier park and to meadows on its slopes.
Neighbourhoods
Gucheng
古城区
The district containing the old town and the modern city centre.
Yulong
玉龙纳西族自治县
Naxi autonomous county around the mountain, with Baisha, Yuhu and the gorge villages.
Food
Lijiang baba
丽江粑粑
Layered fried flatbread, sweet or savoury.
Cured-rib hotpot
腊排骨火锅
Salted, air-dried pork ribs simmered with vegetables.
Chickpea jelly
鸡豆凉粉
Jelly made from local black chickpeas, eaten cold with chilli or fried.
Culture
The Naxi preserve a religious tradition led by ritual specialists called dongba, whose manuscripts in pictographic script are listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. Naxi ancient music ensembles of elderly musicians perform in the old town, and courtyard houses with carved window screens follow a local blend of Han, Bai and Tibetan building styles. The Mosuo around Lugu Lake, in the east of the municipality, are known for their matrilineal households.
Mountains and nature nearby
Getting around
- Lijiang Sanyi International Airport lies south-east of the city.
- Lijiang station is linked by rail with Dali and Kunming to the south and with Shangri-La to the north.
- The old town is pedestrian; Baisha, Shuhe and the mountain are reached by bus, taxi or bicycle.
Day trips
Tiger Leaping Gorge
虎跳峡
One of the deepest river gorges in the world, where the Jinsha runs between Jade Dragon and Haba snow mountains; a high trail follows its northern side.
First Bend of the Yangtze
长江第一湾
At Shigu, where the river turns abruptly from south to north-east.
Lugu Lake
泸沽湖
High lake on the Sichuan border, home of the Mosuo.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Lijiang Municipal People's Government — Lijiang Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Old Town of Lijiang — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
- Lijiang — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
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